Blue cheese is back in the news in this edition of the Recall Roundup.
In a previous edition of the Recall Roundup, Iowa-based Maytag Dairy Farms recalled five lots of "Maytag Blue" blue cheese wedges and wheels and 15 batches of blue cheese crumbles due to potential listeria contamination.
Several days after the initial recall, Maytag Diary Farms expanded the recall's scope to include more lots and batches of blue cheese wedges, wheels and crumbles. This week, retailers Whole Foods Market and Hy-Vee both announced they were voluntarily recalling Maytag Blue Cheese due to possible listeria contamination.
According to a FDA news release announcing the Whole Foods Market recall:
The recalled cheese was sold cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap with scale labels in various weights reading “Maytag Blue Raw Milk,” “Maytag Blue” or “Maytag Iowa Blue Cheese” and with PLU numbers beginning with 293308 and “sell-by” dates of 1/20/2016 and 3/21/16. The product was sold from cheese cases in various Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Out of an abundance of caution, Whole Foods Market is recalling the products from all of its stores nationwide.
According to the news release announcing the Hy-Vee recall:
The recalled cheese was sold in whole wheels and cuts, and re-packaged in foil or clear plastic wrap with scale labels in various weights. Blue cheese crumbles were also sold in plastic containers. All product was labeled as "Maytag Blue Raw Milk," "Maytag Blue" or "Maytag Iowa Blue Cheese" and with PLU numbers beginning with 854089001 and with "use by" dates between Jan. 20, 2016 and May 3, 2016. The product was sold from cheese cases in all of Hy-Vee's 240 stores, located in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, between Nov. 20, 2015 and March 2, 2016. Out of an abundance of caution, Hy-Vee is recalling all sizes and forms (wheels, wedges and crumbles) of Maytag Blue Cheese products from all of its stores.
In other food industry recall news:
A news release published to the FDA website on Thursday announced that Seattle-based Loki Fish Company is issuing a voluntary recall of some smoked pink salmon due to a positive test result for Listeria monocytogenes.
According to the FDA news release:
The affected Wild Smoked Pink Salmon Portions comes in a 4-7 ounce, clear plastic package. The lot 121215 5594 or 121215 5613 is found on the back of the package.
Product was distributed to retail stores in Oregon and Washington, via mail order, and sold at Seattle area farmers markets.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with Loki Fish Company product. The product is processed by Felix Custom Smoking, a Loki Fish Company co-packing vendor.
According to a news release published to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website on Thursday, Arizona-based Namias of Arizona announced it was recalling 19,200 pounds of chicken products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens.
The USDA FSIS news release states:
The products contain hydrolyzed soy protein, a known allergen which is not declared on the product label.
The fully-cooked chicken items were produced on various dates between Sept. 2, 2015, and March 1, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:
•20-pound cases containing 5-pound bags of “Carlotta’s Kitchen CHICKEN CHILE VERDE.”
•20-pound cases containing 5-pound bags of “Carlotta’s Kitchen SPORTS CHICKEN,” a chili-type entree.The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-6006” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The chicken chile verde items were shipped to the company’s restaurant in Nevada. The sports chicken items were shipped to the company’s restaurants in Arizona.
